[Young Gods Records]

Among all the bands that delve deeply into dark, erotic Rock, Swans stands alone. Under the perpetual and gravely brilliant leadership of Michael Gira, Swans has set a singular course that pays no attention to musical or cultural trends to make its point.

Kevin Barnes might not be on a par with Neil Young or David Bowie, but he's no slouch in the reinvention department. Over the past decade and a half, Barnes and Of Montreal (his rotating cast of musical provocateurs) have evolved from the conceptually edgy Baroque Pop brilliance of their early work with the Elephant 6 collective to a song structure more directly influenced by The Beatles and The Kinks to their current Funktronica flavored direction.